#for my gintama people out there: this man reminds me a lot of gintoki

[teatitty]

"Why should I watch the Undead Murder anime" well you see it's very simple

#undead girl murder farce #for my gintama people out there: this man reminds me a lot of gintoki #anyway I'm in love with him

[yangxiaoshorter]

Why Utsuro was the perfect Gintama villain.

(Taken from reddit, with permission from the poster. Posting it here because more Gintama fans need to see it).

Warning: This won't have any manga spoilers, but inevitably, a lot of anime spoilers.

So while most things in Gintama are universally loved by the fans, by comparison, Utsuro seems to be slightly more contraversial. He isn’t hated by any means and most Gintama fans still like him, but there are a few who think he is just a generic overpowered final boss that the show didn’t need. I want to explain why Utsuro is not only great, but the perfect villain for this show. For this I will have to talk about two characters: Utsuro himself of course, and the main character, Sakata Gintoki. Brace yourselves, because we are going to go deep here.

Before I start though let’s just quickly summarize what Utsuro is on the surface though. He is the most powerful being in Gintama. He is the biggest threat that the show had so far. He is an immortal being who is so hard to kill that even he himself has trouble killing himself. On that regard you could compare him to characters like Madara Uchiha from Naruto, or Aizen from Bleach. But that is far from everything that there is to Utsuro as a character. And most of it is because of what Gintoki is as a character.

Sakata Gintoki is one of the strongest main characters you can find. I’m not talking about “blowing up planets” or “cutting through dimensions”. I’m talking about the fact that Gintoki has such a strong personality, beliefs and conviction that almost nothing can shake him. This is partly because of his personality, because of all the suffering he went through (more than anyone else) and of course, Shoyo’s teachings. In a normal Shounen, “Death” is the biggest threat a character can face. But like it was pointed out in Rakuyo arc “Death and Breakfast are equally close to Gintoki”. Gintoki doesn’t fear death. For him it isn’t just “I would sacrifice my life” type of thing like most others. He literally doesn’t fear death. After seeing so much of it death is just another part of life for him. For a man like him, it doesn’t matter how strong a foe is. The worst they can do is kill him, which doesn’t scare him. The only thing that shakes Gintoki is when people around him get hurt, but even then, after overcoming everything in his life, Gintoki now believes that he can protect them no matter what. Even during the few times Gin loses control (like with Jirocho or Oboro) he recovers quiet quickly.

There is something Kamui says to Gintoki in Rakuyo: “You don’t see me when you fight. With Housen and with Shinsuke too. You aren’t fighting the one in front of you. Who is it that you are fighting?” This is the main point of where I’m coming from. No villain, not even his closest friend can shake Gintoki, because when he fights, he fights himself and his own weaknesses, not the opponent in front of him. There can be a lot more that can be said about it but I’m sure most of you know this part so I’m going to keep it brief. So why is Gintoki’s character so strong? Because the “foundation” of his beliefs are so strong that no attack on them can even shake them. So the only way to even shake Gintoki would be to attack that “foundation” itself.

There is a saying that a hero is only as good as their villain. Which is true in most cases, but there is also the opposite: A villain can only be strong if he confronts a strong hero. Otherwise, your audience might start finding the hero they were supposed to root for annoying and start agreeing with the villain, which is the last thing you would want as a storyteller. Now as we established, Gintoki is really strong as a character. He can emphatize with everyones suffering, because he suffered more than any of them. He knows people can come out as a better person after all sufferings because he himself managed it after far worse. That is where Utsuro comes in.

Every aspect of Utsuro’s character is specifically created to challenge Gintoki. His very existence, ideas, his past, his actions… everything about Utsuro is an antithesis for Gintoki. Let me explain what I mean by that because there are a few reasons. First being of course, that he is Yoshida Freaking Shoyo. The man who made Gintoki who he is. Everything Gin is started with this man. While what happened to Shoyo was one of biggest regrets in Gintoki’s life, he still overcame that and mostly made peace with it. He finally accepted (not over night btw. You can literally see it happen throughout the show) that he could forgive himself. That he did his best. That Shoyo would be proud of what he did and does. That was because he knew who Shoyo was. Thanks to his teachings, Gintoki learned to forgive people, people like Takasugi, or himself. But then Utsuro appeared. An embodiment of all of Gintoki’s fears and regrets. For Gintoki, Utsuro was created by one of the biggest regrets in his life. He was literally a walking talking version of everything Gin tried to overcame. Not only that, but Utsuro’s existence also shook one of Gintoki’s core beliefs as a person. That you don’t have to be empty. That you can overcome any pain. Gintoki was baseing those beliefs on his own experience and Shoyo, and throughout the show, he always challenged people who run from pain (like Jiraia, or Takasugi). But now Utsuro’s existence on its own meant that he could be wrong. That the only reason he wasn’t empty was because he didn’t suffer enough. Because even the person he trusted the most could be broken and become empty with enough pain. That is what Utsuro’s existence meant. Everything that gave strength to Gintoki was suddenly shaken by Utsuro’s very existence. It also meant that Gin himself still wasn’t safe. He suddenly started fearing that with enough suffering, he too can become empty again. Become like Utsuro.

If you think that I’m overanalyzing this I want to remind you of the first things Utsuro does when he appears: Literally, before he even appears on screen, the first thing he does is throw a sword at Kagura. Something that would have at least fatally wounded her if Nobume hadn’t pushed her out of the way. Later, he almost stabs Shinpachi on the forehead, who was saved by Sougo at the last second. Then in Silver Soul arc, he almost kills Sadaharu. This is not a coincidence. Who are Kagura, Shinpachi and Sadaharu to Gintoki? They are the Yorozuya. As in, they are the embodiment of everything Gintoki build since he started overcoming his weaknesses. Symbolically and physically, Utsuro was trying to destroy Gintoki from the very beginning.

I also want to give you a few examples on that. First, remember what Sougo says to Gintoki in Silver Soul: “When you confront that man, you lose control and see nothing but that guy. You don’t act like yourself”. Indeed, throughout the show, especially in Silver Soul arc, Utsuro is constantly making Gintoki lose control. There are 3 instances in the show where Gintoki almost “gives up”. First being when he loses his memories, which obviously doesn’t count. Second being in 4 Devas, which was just an act to keep the kids out of trouble. So the only time Gintoki falls into despair and almost gives up is in Silver Soul, when he thinks about how he didn’t make progress even now, right before the Shinsengumi shows up. Again, all these is just shows how much Utsuro gets to him. More than anyone else in the show ever could.

Because Utsuro is not only Shoyo, not only is he everything Gintoki fought to overcome before, but he is a product of the humanity Gintoki always wanted to believe in. He is the monster Gintoki was scared of becoming. Noone can deny the fact that Utsuro has one of the worst pasts in the show. He was tortured again and again. People killed him again and again and no matter how much he wished for it, they didn’t manage to kill him. Which made them fear him even more, which made them hurt him even more. For decades, he was killed, tortured, went through pain that would easily kill anyone else, but he wasn’t even granted the escape that was death. He was stuck in a prison that was the world that didn’t want him. That he didn’t want to be in. Yet he couldn’t escape. The monster that was Utsuro was created by humans. He became Utsuro (Hollow) because of them. And Gintoki understood that. That is why he couldn’t ignore his stance like the other two. For Katsura, Shoyo was dead and he made peace with it, and Utsuro was just a villain threatening his new life. For Takasugi, Utsuro was the one who killed Shoyo. He hated him, but he was just another target for his revenge. But Gintoki understood what Shoyo and Utsuro were more than anyone, and that is why he was affected more than anyone else.

So what does all this have to do with Utsuro? Well as I said, a great villain, especially a final villain, should be able to challenge the hero on every aspect, not just at swinging swords. And Utsuro stood against everything Gintoki stood for. I’m not going to give manga spoilers here, so just going to say that Gintoki has to overcome all his weaknesses, fears and traumas if he wants to truly defeat Utsuro. And Gintoki’s beliefs are important because they make up the core of Gintama’s ideology. Every villain in some way challenges that ideology: Even the likes of Takasugi and Isaburo. However, none of them go against it as clearly as Utsuro does.

So where does Utsuro himself stand in all this: Some people don’t understand his motivation. Saying that it is weird that he would say that he wants to die but then fight people who want to kill him, but while this isn’t the point of the post I’m going to briefly explain that first to avoid misunderstandings:

Utsuro isn’t just an immortal being who wants to die. He also wants to get revenge on everyone. Not just because for the sake of it, but because he wants to proof himself right. He more than anyone knows how deep humanity can go. So if Gintoki fights to proof that humanity is worth saving, Utsuro fights for the opposite. He wants to proof that despair can overcome anyone. That humanity will abondan everything, their believes, their loves, their ideals when they are confronted with a fear that they can’t overcome. Utsuro doesn’t just want to die. He wants to end the humanity that he sees as a curse on everything.

So in the final battle of the war, when he is about to cut Nobume but hesitates, that was the main conflict coming back at him. It wasn’t Shoyo literally coming back as a seperate entity to hold him back. That was symbolizm. He hesitated because everything those people who he was fighting did at that moment, was going against all his core beliefs. They didn’t despair. They didn’t give up. They didn’t leave each other. Even when everything was hopeless, they kept getting back up. If Utsuro was an antithesis for Gin, then Gintoki himself was the same for Utsuro. Utsuro believed that enough suffering could make anyone “hollow”. Yet no matter how much suffering that boy (Gintoki) when through, he didn’t break. He didn’t become hollow. While the story isn’t done yet, this was the main confrontation of Gin and Utsuro’s ideals and this was the first time since FS where Gintoki cleared his mind and truly fought like he always does, fighting for himself instead of fighting to escape, while Utsuro for the first time, lost that secure belief he always had. This was the true triumph for Gintoki over Utsuro. However, after that Utsuro decided to jump into the Altana, because he refused to accept what Gin said. He denied what he was seeing. He still defended that the humanity would destroy himself. That’s why he jumped. He wanted to win that final argument. He wanted to show that with him out of the picture, the humanity would still destroy themselves on their own. And he wasn’t completely wrong either. As in the next two years, people tried to revive him, gain his power and overall almost started another war. It comes down to Gintoki and the others to win that final gamble Utsuro made.

So yeah, I could probably write more but this is way too long already. Basically, Utsuro is not only a powerful, charismatic villain with an amazing voice, but he is the perfect villain to represent the opposite of everything Gintama stands for. He has such a strong backstory, that you can’t help but understand even the worst of his actions. And most importantly, unlike most final villains in other Shounens, he is connected to the main character more than anyone else. He isn’t just a random powerful guy. He is the only person who was closer to Gintoki than Takasugi was. He was the only villain the show could possibly get after Takasugi. That personal connection to Gin and the others is what makes it so compelling too.

I hope this will give some light on what Utsuro represent as a character. This might have been a bit of a mess, and I apologize for that, it was tougher than I expected. Thanks for reading.

#Gintama #Sakata Gintoki #Kagura #shinpachi shimura #Utsuro #Anime

[razberryyum]

A Gintama episode a day keeps the ending away...Episode 76

Episode Title: In Those Situations, Keep Quiet And Cook Red Rice With Beans, or aka, The Yagyuu Arc Begins!

MY 15 FAVORITE MOMENTS IN EPISODE 76 (manga chaps 110 and 111):

I love the Yagyuu arc, one of my faves in the entire series. I hope the next live action movie covers this arc...and they find a way to incorporate Zura and Elizabeth into it since live action Zura is so perfect.

1) Baby Tae-chan and Baby Kyuu-chan melts me.

2) I just love this so damn much. 

3) There were these random cutaways in the Snack Smile scene which were unique to the anime, and this one was my favorite for obvious reasons. It was a parody of something I don’t know anything about, but LOOK AT YAMAZAKI’S SHORTS!!!!

4) It was a very sweet gesture on the part of the Shinsengumi’s boys...

5) ...too bad Tae-chan is who she is so of course she didn’t react well. I loved Yamazaki’s kimono, which looks even cuter in color.

6) Kyuubei making a really cool entrance.

7) I honestly didn’t like anything about this, but after seeing Princess Bubbles’ size, I was relieved that their genders weren’t switched. Yikes.

8) I love Kondou but I really wish he had better control of his bowels.

9) Whether or not Kyuu-chan had really been a man, I’m sure I still would’ve been shock at this development.

10) I honestly never like seeing Gin-chan hitting animals, even if the animal in question outsized him by ten times. He’s lucky Princess Bubbles didn’t fight back...she couldn’t smashed him into a bloody human pancake with just one finger.

11) Yeah, I was starting to really feel bad for Princess Bubbles. She didn’t deserve any of this abuse. I mean, not bad enough that I wanted her marriage with Kondou to go through, but she was legit royalty after all, she deserved some respect.

12) Gin-chan and Kagura were lying on top of Kondou’s poop stained pants. I was so grossed out. 

13) The face that launched a no-holds barred dojo challenge.

14) I loved that they were talking about Gintoki, and reminding us he was the first to ever beat Hijikata.

15) These future bro-in-laws. So proud of them banding together to fight for Tae-chan’s return.

SHIPS TALLY:

Gintoki x Hijikata & Okita x Kagura: two of my main OTPs in one frame? LOVE. Although admittedly, I probably didn’t devoutly ship OkiKagu until this arc. My love was sparked previously, but it didn’t fully catch fire and erupt into a glorious eternal flame til this arc happened.

Kondou x Otae: pretty much always a given when they’re in any episode together.

Kyuubei x Otae: this ship is what tests my loyalty to KonTae and weakens my resolve a little.

Gintoki x Otae: her tears obviously moved him into action. 

Hijikata x Otae: they would’ve been canon in this alternate series that Tae-chan conjured up, but even within the Ginta-verse, I’m sure a lot of people at the club thought Hijikata was interested since he specifically asked for her services.

Shinpachi x Otae: Pachi-kun’s siscon level was turned up to max.

Kondou x Princess Bubbles: I really can’t. Plus, honestly, Princess Bubbles deserves a man her size who doesn’t shit in his pants all the time. Yeah, that’s the argument I’m gonna stick with. 

Hijikata x Okita: their banter and threats are always cute.

Kondou x Hijikata x Otae: I would never want this myself, but for those who do, this is for you. 

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just completely unbelievably amazing.  It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s immense generosity that I am able enjoy Gintama on an extra another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

3/17/2019

#Gintama #Gintama anime episode 76 #Yagyuu Arc #Yorozuya Shinsengumi Shimura Yagyuu #Yagyuu Kyuubei #KyuuTae #KonTae #GinHiji #OkiKagu #Princess Bubbles #GinTae #HijiTae #ShinTae #KonHijiTae #A harem (or hissum) for Tae-chan basically #KonBubbles #HijiOki #Life and Love #THANK YOU Sorachi-sama

[rike-with-love]

A reckless idiot

Summary: Takes place after the final battle (hopefully the real final battle). Kagura has something to say to Sougo, and that is to tell him how stupid he truly is. Take in consideration that I haven't read the latest manga chapters, I prefer anime. So if something written here has already happened (I don't think so) or etc. My apologies. This is my take on the canon(ishishish) road (obviously smushy as fuck, I can't help it and I tend to amp up the drama) before Sorachi himself shows us the real deal. So, mild spoilers for the anime watchers as I've seen couple pictures from the un-animated content.

Pairings: Okikagu

Rating: T for violence, angst(ish), fluff, bad language

Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama or its characters. Sorachi Hideaki does. I only own this story.

Author’s notes: I have a link to my fanfiction masterlist on my profile. Please check it out for more chapters and fics!

A reckless idiot

Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura were standing at the all too familiar gates. Once those wooden doors protected the great police force of Edo, the Shinsengumi. After Shinsengumi's departure, the abandoned building was left untouched. Heavy wooden bars held the gate tightly shut and none dared to trespass.

Kagura remembered the seal on the door. She hadn't told a soul, but there were times she visited those gates. She wasn't sure why. Maybe she was looking for something. Someone. Maybe Kagura just accidentally walked past it during her walks. Who the hell knew.

After the first big battle, many of Edo's buildings took a lot of damage and the old Shinsengumi compound was one of them. Shinpachi promised to Kondo that the he would do everything he possibly could to fix the building as fast as possible. The earth's great police-force had made their glorious return after all.

To Shinapchi's and many others surprise, the Shinsengumi disbanded and vanished right after the war. Sure Shinpachi didn't know the true nature of their actions, but it seemed like a strange decision at the time. Kondo was the only one staying behind, managing his own new course of life.

Despite everything the Shinsengumi compound was restored and left untouched, ready for the brave samurais if they would return home. Two years after the war...well, let's just say a shit ton of things happened at the same time. Familiar faces came back, old friends and foes alike.

*insert Sorachi's vision of the final fight (I can't even imagine it, so I'm going to leave it like this)

The fight took a toll on people involving it, but luckily most of our beloved friends made it through. And now, back to the Yorozuya trio standing on the gates of the Shinsengumi compound. Gintoki hissed suddenly, breaking the momentary silence between them. He was bandaged pretty much from head to toe, walking with crutches, limping his right foot and sporting pair fo dead-fish eyes.

”Be careful with your foot Gin-san,” Shinpachi said.

”Yare, yare Shinpachi-kun, it's not that bad. I barely even feel any painnNGAAAH!” Gintoki grunted after Kagura stopped his nonsense with softly kicking his injured leg.

”Kagura-chan! What are you doing?” Shinpachi cried in his straight man habit.

”Oi brat! What was that for? Do you want Gin-chan to drop dead?”

Kagura glanced at the two men glaring at her and sighed a little. ”I just wanted to remind you to be more careful Gin-chan,” she said, surprisingly seriously.

”And how is kicking my leg proving your point?” Gintoki asked and Shinpachi was nodding strongly next to him.

”He's right Kagura-chan, you don't-”

Kagura turned on her feet to face the two samurais fully and her expression was enough to make Shinpachi choke on his words. ”I just HATE when people do something stupid and reckless, yes...just like that stupid...” Kagura paused as her voice lowered into a whisper and she looked down to her feet.

Shinpachi wasn't quite sure what to say to Kagura, but luckily Gintoki seemed to read her like a book. ”Just like that stupid...who?” Gintoki asked with a softer voice.

Kagura looked at her foster-father straight into his maroon orbs. His eyes seemed to ask a different question and she felt her cheeks getting a little warmer. ”W-what do you mean by who? I meant you, yes,” she said and frowned.

”Ah, of course you did,” Gintoki said and blinked his eyes slowly to Kagura as he was trying to communicate by morse-code.

Kagura huffed and tightened her grip on her umbrella.

”Alright then you two, are we ready to pay them a visit?” Gintoki asked and glanced at both of his 'underlings'.

”Let's do it,” Shinpachi cheered.

A smiled sneaked up on Kagura's lips. ”Yeah,” she said equally exited as Shinpachi. Then the three members of Yorozuya stepped closer to the gates. Kagura and Shinpachi each placed a hand against the no-longer bared gate and gave it a firm push.

As the gates opened up a view of men in dark blue uniforms filled the front yard. There was so much happening in the compound as the Edo's police force had settled back home. Among them was none-other than the commander Gorilla. ”This feels a little nostalgic,” Shinpachi said with a smile.

”Yeah, in all honesty it's good to have them back,” Gintoki said quietly and took a step in.

”How about you Kagura-chan? Do you feel nostalgic?” Shinpachi asked.

”I don't know,” she answered. ”Maybe a little-aru.”

”OI! IT'S THE YOROZUYA!” Kondo shouted from a short distance. Every officer on the yard turned to look at the gates. To the yorozuya's slight embarrassment they were welcomed in with loud cheers and applauses. They were considered as great heroes of the final battle after all, loved and admired by everyone.

Kondo strode towards the trio with open arms and without a warning the jolly gorilla hugged the bandaged trio. ”Kondo-san!” Hijikata called from somewhere. A moment later the vice-commander yanked the emotional commander away from the hug. ”Let them breath would you.”

”Get back to work guys!” Hijikata ordered. He didn't want any unnecessary slacking off as there was a lot things to be taken care of. One of them being settling back to the compound and the other being taking care of the injured officers.

”It's okay Hijikata-san,” Shinpachi said to cool of the vice-commander.

”I'm just so happy to see you all and I'm glad that you're back on your feet,” Kondo said, the latter directed at Gintoki.

”I could say the same thing, you weren't exactly in best shape a couple of days ago,” Gintoki said. ”So, what's your next move tax-robbers?”

”Gin-san!” Shinpachi hissed.

”Oh come, I'm just joking.”

In the middle of all the chit-chat, Kagura remained awfully quiet. Usually she was right after Gintoki throwing some sort of insults on someone's way. But not today, she wasn't feeling like her bubbly self.

Hijikata noticed Kagura's strange behaviour. She had her umbrella dipped back, face slowly turning from side to side. Eyes wandering among the Shinsengumi officers. Was she looking for something? That was certainly the case in Hijikata's eyes.

Kagura didn't first notice the vice-commander stepping next to her. She snapped out of her thoughts with a flick of a lighter. Hijikata lighted up a cigarette and waited for Kagura to react. She said nothing, it felt like she was afraid to ask what was on her mind.

Hijikata blew out the fumes of his cigarette and cleared out his throat. ”Oi, follow me.”

”Why would I do that-aru?” she asked.

”Oh please, I can see what you're doing.”

Kagura stared at him with lips pressed tightly together, eyes telling of her suspicion. ”What are you saying?” she asked.

”Just follow me,” Hijikata said and turned his back on her. He made his way towards the main building and checked if Kagura was following. Just like he had expected she was right behind him. They entered the building as discreetly as possible.

Kagura closed her umbrella, but her grip on it was still tight, palms feeling strangely sweaty. She hadn't even done anything that difficult earlier, so why was she feeling like this, so anxious. Then again, of course she knew exactly why she felt like that. Hijikata stopped by the end of a hallway and turned to Kagura.

”He's there.”

”Who?”

”Stop it.”

”Fine...” Kagura agreed. She swallowed and looked down. ”How is he?”

”He's recovering. He might be resting right now, but you can go and see for yourself.”

”O-okay,” Kagura mumbled.

”I'll give you some privacy,” Hijikata said and passed by Kagura, with the intention of returning outside.

”Oi! I don't need any privacy with him!” Kagura shouted after Hijikata who ignored her completely.

With Hijikata out of sight, Kagura turned to the door. She touched it hesitantly, considering on should she enter or not. Then she relaxed her shoulders and slid the door open a bit. She had to see him, she wanted to see his chest rising peacefully, that was all she needed.

Inside the room she saw him, her rival, laying on his bed. Kagura opened the door a little more to see him better. He had his eyes closed, apparently Hijikata had guessed it right, he was sleeping.

Kagura entered the room, closing the door right after her. Softly and quietly, she kneeled down next to his futon. It felt strange to see him like this, peaceful and silent. Last time Kagura saw him laying like this was on the battlefield, but he wasn't exactly peaceful.

The memory of that day made her eyes feel watery. She remembered him couching blood, talking nonsense, breathing roughly, seemingly in pain. Kagura frowned her brows and felt a tear trailing down her cheek. ”Idiot,” she muttered, still conflicted on should she be more angry at him or more worried about him.

Then again, above all else, she felt great relief. He was alive, breathing.

”China...is it you?” Sougo asked quietly eyes narrowly open.

*

*

Kagura landed softly on her feet as another enemy went down in front of her. She heard that ominous chinkling sound coming from both of her sides. Two spears were coming on her way, but as expected from Kagura, she effortlessly dodged both. With one high jump she kicked both of her enemies simultaneously.

Her blood was rushing, adrenaline was pumping through her veins, she felt the heat of the battle in her soul. Kagura wasn't a yato who took pleasure in killing, but she loved the feeling of intense fighting.

After shooting a round of bullets on the incoming enemies, she saw Gintoki, Takasugi and Katsura advancing further. Kagura ran towards them through the rubble and fallen enemies. As agile as she was, there was a crack in the ground right on her way. Her eyes were so focused on Gintoki's back that one of her legs slid into the crack.

”Shit,” she muttered and tried to yank her leg free. But it didn't budge and the rough edges injured her ankle. The more she wiggled, the more it hurt. ”Dammit.”

For Kagura's dismay she heard a pack of enemies closing in. She popped her head up and saw at least ten of those bastards coming her way. Before Kagura could react she saw two men cut down each and every one of those who threatened her.

”Huh?” She recognized them both. ”Kamui! Sadist!”

Kamui turned to look at his little sister with a wide smile. ”Why are you sitting there? This isn't a playground.”

”I'm not sitting idiot! My leg got stuck.”

”Who gets their leg stuck in middle of the battlefield?” Kamui snorted.

”Give her a rest,” Sougo said calmly.

Kagura felt a little warmness on her cheeks. Was the sadistic prince defending her, she though.

”Maybe she just got tired and shoved her leg there on purpose,” Sougo added with an even calmer voice.

Kagura's nostrils were fuming. She gritted her teeth and was about to give Sougo a piece of her mind. Then another wave of enemies snapped her out her anger. ”Oi you two bastards! Eyes on the battlefield, yes.”

Both Sougo and Kamui smirked a little and with weapons ready they charged at the incoming enemies. Kagura huffed to herself and turned her attention on her foot. After a while of suffering, she was still stuck. She wasn't afraid of the pain, but she knew too much strain on her ankle could put her to the sidelines of the very important battle they were having.

Kagura glanced at the pair of sadists cutting down enemies and she could swear that they were fighting each other from time to time. After her sight was clear from enemies, she saw Sougo approaching her. He kneeled down to her level and looked at her leg.

”Let me help you there China,” he said and was about to touch her ankle.

”Hell no! You'll just break it again-aru.”

Sougo chuckled and shook his head. He lifted his eyes to look straight in to hers. Kagura felt something strange inside her as he looked at her. He wasn't as deadpan as he usually was, he was almost concerned or at least she thought he was.

”I won't, I promise,” he said. ”We need you out there China.”

”Hell yes you need me out there,” she huffed at Sougo. He didn't say a word to her and flashed a small smile. Kagura looked away from him and puffed her cheeks. Why was the sadist being so nice all of a sudden, she thought to herself.

Sougo shifted his attention to her stuck ankle. He moved her leg carefully to see better and then he saw her injury. ”You're bleeding China.”

Kagura turned to look at him. ”It's nothing, just a little scratch, yes.”

”Right,” he said like he knew what she was going to say.

”What?” Kagura huffed.

Sougo looked up and their eyes locked. For a short moment Kagura thought that sadistic bastard that always annoyed her to the max, made something flutter inside her. His crimson eyes were so focused on her and he almost looked a little...handsome?

Kagura tried to shake off the weird feeling and she looked away again. ”Stop staring at me weirdo and help me out here, yes,” she mumbled.

Sougo remained wordless and smiled a little. He took off his white cravat and gave it to Kagura. She snatched the piece of clothing from his hands and stared at it. ”Is this for sneezing?”

He sighed like he was amused by her. ”No idiot.”

”Who are you calling an idiot?”

”You, idiot.”

”Want me to kick your ass, yes.”

Then he sighed out of frustration. ”No!” Sougo said firmly, his voice even stun Kagura. She could tell from his voice if he was just engaging with their casual banter or was he serious. This time, he was dead serious. They shared a look again. ”It's for your ankle genius.”

Kagura blinked her eyes a couple of times. ”Oh...” she said quietly. ”Thanks.”

”Still so stubborn...” he said and focused back at her leg.

Kagura didn't really have a counter for his words. She had always been stubborn and even after two years she was on the quest to awaken Sadaharu, she remained stubborn.

”Don't move,” Sougo said and positioned both of his hands on her leg. Kagura gasped a little at the contact. Sougo's eyes darted at her and he lifted his fingers off her. ”Did I hurt you?”

”No, no you didn't,” Kagura said and dodged his gaze. She was so confused of her own behaviour. Why is my heart beating faster, Kagura thought and took in a deep calming breath. Sougo continued to free her from the damned crack. Kagura couldn't help herself, she wanted to look at him. She observed him from the corner of her eye. He was so focused and definitely looked like he was concerned.

”Okay China, I think I can get your leg free,” Sougo said without looking at her. ”It's gonna hurt a little so bear with it.”

”Okay.”

Sougo had both of his hand on her leg again, focus completely on her. Usually Sougo and Kagura were both famous for having their senses on high alert at a battlefield. This time unfortunately, they only focused on each other. Apparently one of the ”fallen” enemies nearby wasn't exactly dead.

Without neither Sougo or Kagura noticing, a man had picked themselves up from the ground and slowly started to approach the duo. Kagura's trail of thought was cut off by that blood-thirsty chinkling of a javelin. She shifted her sight from Sougo towards the infamous sound.

Kagura inhaled loudly as she saw a blood covered man closing in on them, javelin aimed at Sougo. The young captain noticed Kagura's strong reaction and looked at her face. Before he could ask her anything, his ears registered the chinkling.

”Sadist! Behind you!” Kagura shouted.

Sougo's fingers were on his katana in a second. He yielded his blade and turned around just as fast. Unfortunately the enemy was closer than Sougo expected. Kagura shrieked as Sougo's katana flew out of his hand with a powerful swing of the spear landing on his wrist.

Sougo hissed and the attacker didn't waste his element of surprise advantage. He kicked Sougo to his side. He landed against a rock next to Kagura. She saw him grunting, he had hit the rock head first. ”Sadist!” she called, but got no immediate answer.

Kagura turned to look at the man with the spear. He had a dead eyes, it was clear that no-matter who he faced, he would try to kill them. Kagura huffed and hastily tried to yank her leg out. Her efforts were futile.

The spear rose right in front of her eyes, ready to strike at her. Kagura gave up on her leg and prepared to stop the javelin with her hands. She wasn't sure was it possible but she didn't see any other option. Sougo's blurred vision started to clear out and all he saw was Kagura on the ground and the man about to launch his attack.

”No,” Sougo gritted between his teeth and pushed himself up. Kagura focused fiercely on the spear, but suddenly her whole line of sight was blocked by something or rather someone. A pair of hands slammed on Kagura's shoulders and she saw a flash of crimson orbs.

”Wha-” was all that Kagura got out of her mouth before blood spattered across her shirt. Her eyes stood wide and in utter disbelief. She saw Sougo right in front of her on his knees with a spear sticking out of his abdomen. He couched blood on the ground. ”W-what...?”

Just as fast as the man has struck with his spear he pulled it out of Sougo. He grunted from pain and Kagura felt him squeezing her shoulders tighter. ”C-china...”

Kagura was still too stunned to speak properly. She just watched the blood gushing out of his wound. His grip on her shoulders began to loosen and he slumped a little lower. Kagura listened to his raspy breathing and she could hear the blood gargling in his mouth. She tried to understand what had just happened. The sadist had jumped in front of the spear meant for her. She wanted to tell him how stupid he was for doing so, but this wasn't the time or place for that.

Their enemy was still there, apparently ready to strike again. Kagura felt her yato blood boiling, she wasn't going to let that happen. Sougo's hands slipped completely off her and he fell down on his side. Kagura clenched her fist and punched the ground under her, successfully breaking the crack where her leg was.

She knew it wasn't the smartest move, but it was the only way to protect both of them. As the ground cracked around her ankle, her wound deepened, but she didn't care. Kagura didn't waste a second and punched the man with all her yato might, sending him through three buildings in a distance. It was a punch like no-other, powered up by the anger she felt towards the man.

Kagura turned quickly to check on Sougo who had turned on his back. Blood was pooling under him, but he was still conscious. She rushed down to his level and checked his pulse. ”Oi! Sadist!” she called.

Sougo's breaths were short and wheezy, he was clearly in pain. ”Oi! Stay with me, yes.”

Kagura heard running steps coming closer to them. It was Kamui coming to check up on what took so long for Sougo to free her leg. ”Hey! What are you two chilling here when-”

”Shut up!”

Kamui's words were abruptly cut short by a distressed Kagura. ”Go and get help, now!” she ordered. Kamui stood few meters away from Kagura and Sougo, he couldn't quite see how dire the situation really was.

”Help? Did something hap-”

”HURRY UP BAKA-ANIKI!” Kagura roared. Kamui understood his sister wasn't playing around this time and he left to get help.

Kagura noticed that Sougo's skin was getting alarmingly pale, the warm colour of his skin was just the hollow shade of its normal state. She pressed his wound with her hand, trying her best to staunch the flow of blood. Sougo hissed at the pressure and opened his eyes.

Their eyes locked again, but Kagura wasn't sure what to say to him. Luckily he had something to say.

”Are you okay China?”

”Huh? Kagura voiced loudly. ”Me?”

”I...I just...” he said quietly as he struggled to breath.

”Stop talking, you're bleeding too much.”

”It's just...a little...scratch,” Sougo struggled to say with a smile on his face.

Kagura recalled herself using similar words earlier. He was truly an idiot, a reckless idiot, Kagura thought to herself with a heavy heart. She felt her eyes watering up, but she forbid herself from crying. There was no reason to cry, he was going to be fine...or that's what Kagura told herself to keep her mind calm.

”Stop talking nonsense, yes.”

Kagura kept her hand on his wound, but with her other hand she touched his cheek. It felt cold. Too cold. Despite the blood trails coming from his mouth, he had a peaceful look on his face. Then Sougo placed his hand over Kagura's hand on his cheek. He pressed his cheek against her hand and allowed his eyes to slid shut.

”Don't lose...don't...die...” Sougo breathed. ”...Chi-na...”

After calling her pet name rather sweetly, he fell unconscious. Kagura could only stare at him, helpless feeling taking over her brain. ”Sadist, oi! Now it's not the time to take a nap, yes.” She knew he didn't hear her anymore, but she didn't know what else to do.

Of course she blamed herself first, if her leg hadn't got stuck, none of this would have happened. But then again, she didn't ask for him to throw himself in front of the spear.

This wasn't the first time Sougo had done something drastic to save her, but this...this was on a whole other level. But why, that was the main question on Kagura's mind.

Kamui and the field medics arrived soon after Sougo fell unconscious. She watched as he was carried away and that was the moment she finally allowed herself to react. Kamui saw how shaken Kagura was about the whole situation and he knew exactly what he had to do.

”Hey sis, you have to forget about the earth police for now and get over it.”

Kagura turned to look at Kamui with a baffled look on her face. ”Forget? How can I forget him after he just-”

”Kagura!” Kamui called to stop her rambling. She waited in silence, tears burning in her eyes, ready to wet her cheeks.

Kamui sighed softly and place his hand on Kagura's shoulder. ”I mean, you can't undo what just happened, there's only one thing you can do right now.”

Kagura swallowed her tears. ”And what's that?”

”Fight. You can fight.”

Kagura pondered his words for a moment and she knew he was right. ”Fight?”

”Yes.”

”You have a point there Kamui,” she admitted.

”Let's go then,” Kamui said with his standard smile. Kagura hummed as her answer. She realized that fighting was her speciality. She was most useful fighting in the frontlines, not somewhere crying her eyes out.

”Ah, wait a second Kamui,” Kagura said and reached for something in her pocket. She pulled out a white piece of clothing.

”What's that?”

Kagura glanced at the fabric. She tried to ignore the fact that she accidentally smudged Sougo's blood all over the cravat. ”It's for my ankle,” she said and tied the piece of clothing around her wounded ankle, just like she was instructed by a brave idiot.

Kagura's ankle was still bleeding a little bit. As she ran with Kamui towards their enemy her own blood mixed with the stains of Sougo's blood on the cravat. It made it easier to pretend that it was her blood all along.

*

*

Kagura didn't answer his question, she was caught off guard by him waking up.

”China, is it really you?” Sougo asked and tried to open his eyes wider.

”Yeah, it's me,” she said quietly without looking at him.

”I see.”

The room felt sort of awkward. There were things Kagura wanted to get off her chest, but she wasn't sure was he in right shape to listen to her.

”How are you feeling?” Kagura asked quite formally.

Sougo got his eyes finally fully open. He looked at her straight into her eyes, but she didn't answer the glance. ”I'm okay.”

”Good.”

This must have been the only time Sougo saw Kagura so wordless and stoic, it wasn't like her at all.

”Hijikata told me you got your dog back.”

”I did.”

Sougo sighed, he didn't like that she was dodging his eyes. ”China?” he called with his usual tone, but Kagura picked up a hint of annoyance from him.

”What?”

”Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind, mmh?”

”I don't know what you're talking about sadist.”

Sougo closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. She was seriously the embodiment of stubbornness. ”I can see you have something to say China,” he said and opened his eyes. ”So get on with it.”

”You're wrong, yes.”

”Stop behaving like an idiot and talk to me,” Sougo said, voice on the edge of demanding.

”Idiot...me?” Kagura asked and looked at him. Idiot. That was the only word running through Kagura's mind. Him calling her an idiot finally triggered her vocal cords. Here we go, Sougo thought to himself and braced himself for what ever she had to say.

Kagura exhaled deeply and threw everything she was feeling at Sougo. ”I am not the idiot here. You are the idiot! A reckless idiot!”

”Me?” Sougo managed to say in between Kagura's words.

”Yes you! Who is stupid enough to jump into a spear? Huh? Who told you to jump there?”

”But-”

”Why the hell would you do something to careless? Risking your life for no-reason. Why? WHY?”

”BECAUSE!” Sougo raised his voice over Kagura's, successfully shutting her right up. He sure liked to run his mouth, but he didn't yell. Ever. Kagura's eyes were wide as she stared at him. He exhaled to calm down a bit.

”What was I supposed to do, huh? Let him run the spear through you?”

”Yes, it was meant for me,” Kagura said like it was the most obvious answer there could be.

”Oh please.”

”What?”

”Like I would never let that happen.”

”B-but...” Kagura said with voice cracking up. ”You could have died...I don't want you to die!” she said with tears in her eye.

Sougo huffed roughly and pushed himself to sit up, cautiously careful of his injury. She placed her hands on his shoulders. ”No, no! You need to rest, yes,” Kagura said and tried to push him back on the bed.

”I'm fine, now listen to me.”

Their faces were inches apart. His deep crimson eyes were staring right into her soul or that's what it felt like for Kagura.

”On the day I lost the most important person in my life I couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening, so I made a promise to myself.” Kagura listened carefully and focused on every word coming out of his lips.

”No matter the situation, I swore never to let that happen again. Even if it would cost me my own life, I would gladly die protecting that person.”

Kagura's heart skipped a beat. She sobbed a little, slowly understanding what he was saying.

”Am I..the most..?” Kagura asked quietly, half of the words drowning with her tears. She slowly dropped her hands from his shoulders to his chest.

”Yes,” Sougo simply said with gentle eyes. She felt overwhelmed, was this really the same Okita Sougo she had known all these years. Apparently he was. Kagura grasped his yukata with both hands and leaned closer to him with a hitched breath.

*

*

Gintoki entered a hallway in the Shinsengumi quarters. Hijikata was right behind him, guiding him towards Sougo's room. ”So, is Sofa-kun going to be alright?” Gintoki inquired, genuinely worried.

”Thankfully yes. He was really lucky the spear didn't hit any vital organs,” Hijikata explained.

Before they reached Sougo's room, his door was slammed wide open. Kagura rushed out of the room as fast as she could. ”Kagura? Are you okay?” Gintoki asked, but he didn't get any answers from her. Kagura dashed past the two men while covering her face with her arm.

Gintoki looked dumbfounded, he was like John Travolta looking confused as fuck, waving the air with an imaginary coat. Hijikata got instantly worried about Sougo, had something happened to him to make the young yato woman act so strangely.

”China?!” Sougo's voice called from the room. Gintoki and Hijikata enter Sougo's room like two worried dads.

”What the hell happened here?” Gintoki asked.

Sougo was still sitting on his bed, with an amused look on his face.

”Are you hurt?” Hijikata asked.

”No.”

”Kagura just ran past us and she was really shaken,” Gintoki said and immediately suspected that the sadistic captain had something to do with it. ”Did you say something bad to her?”

”No.”

”Well, did you do something to her?” Gintoki asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

”Um...no.”

”Why the hesitation?” Gintoki asked eyes squinted.

”Sougo is still recovering, stop harassing him perm-head,” Hijikata hissed.

”It's okay Hijibaka-san,” Sougo said to his superior. ”I didn't do anything...it was all her.”

”What?” Gintoki asked, he didn't like puzzles or cryptic answers.

”Ah, nothing danna. Maybe I should get some rest,” Sougo said and carefully laid back to his bed.

Hijikata had to drag out the suspicious Gintoki out of the room as he was throwing more and more questions at Sougo, who only gave annoyingly vague answers.

Meanwhile Kagura reached the Shinsengumi's gates. She exited the compound and leaned against the outer walls near the gate. Her back against the wall, she slowly let her whole body slide down all the way to the ground.

Kagura's breathing was fast but not as rapid as her heartbeat. She touched her lips with her fingers like there was something new and exciting to feel. As a cute smile curled on her lips the heavy blush on her cheeks spread even wider.

#okikagu #gintama #kagura #okita sougo #okita x kagura #fanfiction #one-shot #mild manga spoilers

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 702 Review

I have been dreading for Gintama to return and not only I got my satisfaction, it exceeded my expectation. Although the chapter is shorter than last time, the content still packs a heavy punch to leave you feeling awed and invested. This chapter was an outstanding setup for the grand finale that I still have chills, goosebumps, and anything else that a man would feel when the hype is extraordinary. Once more, I’m dreading for Gintama to return.

It has been a while since the last chapter, though luckily for me, I still remember the setup and the events took place. I remember Takasugi reached to the top to confront Shouyo while Yorozuya is reunited and running towards where the two are at. Sadly, this chapter doesn’t begin with a gag like the last shift, but it’s all good when the series is at the intense climax. We’re in the endgame now.

The chapter begins with a really good hype build-up with yours truly, Sakamoto. That facial hair is doing wonder for his design as he come across like a really cool guy. That and the artwork is very solid throughout the chapter; clearly, Sorachi’s long break helps out the clarity. Back to Sakamoto, it’s all about the fate of the world, hence the chapter’s title. This moment raise the stake and increase the tension as it is the finale. It’s like the speech about history is written by the victor. The idea is this is the fight that will change everything; it’s the true endgame.

It is incredible that Earth stays getting attacked and always come close to world destruction. It’s practically fate by this point. Sakamoto always have a great speech in his arsenal and this is no exception. The pain and struggle always come for them, but their fate will deny the fate. It highlights all the Joui Four’s scenario respectively, a good reminder after a long break. It’s all about fighting to see the end and justify a reason they may or may not know. It’s inspiring and helps the hype level for what’s to come next.

Takasugi has been stellar throughout this arc. If he was like his old self before Shogun Assassination Arc, his ticking time bomb to death wouldn’t worry me. Now, I am anxious to know what his destination is. Needless to say, I’m deeply worry for the guy. With all that said, his confrontation with Shouyo is heartwarming; showcasing his great development. I’m really glad that he finally got to meet him alone. I wanted him to share his side of thoughts about his sensei, his comrades, and his own feelings.

As rough state Takasugi is in, he still smiles at the sight of his master. It’s not Utsuro, but Shouyo to his eye. He truly wants to go back home; back to the way things were. This was touching; I feel sorry for Takasugi. You can feel his words and expression how much he wanted to see him. The students may have split apart before, but now, they are returning back home. It’s a touching metaphor to say, “Family will always be family.”

The best part of the speech is when he contrast his life to Gintoki’s. In the midst of his speech, Otae was close to get crushed by blocks, but Yorozuya shows up in time to save her. Gintoki broke his staff and got hit by a block. It should be funny, but this quickly plays off as a moment to recover the best sword of them all. He is the man that moved ahead to the future and Takasugi’s role is his companion. The metaphor and the narration makes the moment emotional; I could draw tears. I can’t do it justice here, but the narrative flow is so good. Takasugi passing out got me praying; that’s how much I cared. He did recover, but then the scene segue to one of the most unexpected emotional scene this series gives so far, and that’s saying it a lot.

Out of all people to give us an emotional speech, it’s Utsuro/Shouyo himself. In fact, this is the best part of the chapter aside from the ending. Although he appears as Shouyo, it is best to be reminded that he’s the embodiment of all characters of himself within a body. In other words, he’s everyone; Utsuro, Shouyo, whoever. The idea is he acknowledge what and who he is, and nothing will change the fact he has long live to experience many life decisions. Even when he did die before, the memory remains, including Edo defeating him in the war. Honestly, this series presented very well how awful immortality can really be. He finally found the moment to die for good and this is for the best.

Shouyo’s speech doesn’t end there, but the scene does shift to Katsura and Hitsugi to connect the narrative of the end of Shouyo. There are few interesting notes here. Shouyo’s speech ties in to the moment where his heart was destroyed, because it truly is the end of him. Even if he were to gain a crystal, a replacement so to say, it’s only temporary. Basically, he’s human, and anyone with his blood will die along with him eventually. Technically, this is a plot twist and a damn good one. I’ll say it again, “We’re in the endgame now.”

What really captures my interest is Hitsugi as a character. I am stunned how Sorachi managed to make a mute guy and a third henchman into a sympathetic character and I like it. It’s another plot twist when you think about it. For a while, fans thought he’s favoring Utsuro to revive and restart the chaos once again. It turns out he is favoring him, but to put an end to his life; just as current Shouyo’s wish. It amazes me how any of his disciple truly loves him and knows what’s right. Clearly, he is the most beloved master.

I don’t know if this twist means other moments are red herring, but it’s more like us looking at the wrong direction. I thought he was a slave to Tendoshu, when in reality, he knows what needs to be done and reviving Utsuro isn’t it. What struck me the most is how he was able to understand the hardship and misery of Utsuro as immortal being. Even for a short while compare to Utsuro’s lifespan, it is a nightmare, so he wants to grant him death. What’s up with good writing making me feel sympathy for a character who is either evil or short-lived? I like how he wished the best for everyone associated with Utsuro a closure they deserved. Sleep well.

The best portion of the speech is here. After you take it all in with Shouyo’s wish and how the effect come in play, we learn how he truly feels about everything. It’s pretty emotional. His final move is to collide with Altana and cancel out the destruction to save Edo. It’s his only way to save a life and yet, he cannot save the loved ones that are his disciples. I don’t recall if I said this before and it doesn’t need to be said, but I’ll say it now: Shouyo is a tragic character.

He has been a great character, villain or not. Usually, a character can be good in one criteria, like a good person, but a crappy villain, or vice versa. Shouyo can work well for multiple roles. This is why he is well liked in the community. Because of good writing and sheer investment of these characters, I can sympathize his misery of not able to do well as immortal; can’t save not one disciple. Even offering a life with his blood, it only brought tragedy. When he cries, shoot, I begin to cry. He didn’t deserve this. He can make a great protagonist in a tragic series; I can’t say that’s a compliment. It’s sad as hell. Life truly sucks, and yet, he cannot die.

The chapter is covered with plot twists, so it might as well have one more and it’s the most shocking one. Imagine the mood you’re in after reading heartbreaking words from each characters; you’re overwhelmed with emotions. Then, the twist to top them all happens with a sheer suspense. A page left me wondering until blood is spill. Takasugi stabs Shouyo and it is gut-wrenching to fathom it. The twist is Takasugi is gone (for now at least) and Utsuro has taken over the body. Wow…

I didn’t see this coming. In fact, the way I saw it before this chapter was Utsuro is back in his own body and going to fight Takasugi before Gintoki arrives. Never would I guess Takasugi lose his conscious to Utsuro, but it makes a lot of sense. That’s why we needed to see Tendoshu as fallen victims to Utsuro. It all lined up well for this twist to happen. That said, it’s painful for Takasugi to be the man to kill his beloved master, before his very eye. Someone in the reddit pointed this out and it’s sadly true: both eyes witness the tragic fate with tears and death. Hasn’t he suffered enough? Bottom line, Utsuro is the final boss and it all comes down to the final scene.

I absolutely love the atmosphere of the aftermath of Altana destruction. Utsuro delivered bone-chilling words about Shouyo once again dies without saving anything. That’s just dark. After his line, the rest of the chapter goes silent and the visual storytelling kicks into high gear. What I love about this is how it is setting up for the final stage for the final battle. Gintoki is out of the rubble, resuming his chase for Shouyo. He arrives to the place, only to see his master dead. That’s awfully sad that he couldn’t fulfill the one path to see it through, and ironically, it’s because of Takasugi. The image of seeing your close friend being the murderer is morbid and disheartening. It’s even worse when Takasugi sadistically smile one more time before Utsuro completely takes over. Gintoki can’t catch a break at all.

The sad part is he has to kill the two of his loved one for a price of one. This series is cold when it truly needs to be. As sad it is, I can’t contain my excitement. The last shot with Gintoki and Utsuro standing got me floored with amazing amount of hype. Two men with a mission, the sun in the background, everything that has built up to this point. That shot is pure hype. It’s the final destination level of the final boss. This is Metal Gear Solid 4 final fight level of greatness. This is whatever you think it’s the best final stage tier. This is the endgame.

The whole arc has been stellar because it is more grounded, personal, and emotional. Have it end with a War Arc, it would have been pretty good, but not enough for total satisfaction. Granted, it was a solid War Arc, best in Shounen category, and opinions will vary, but a condensed concentration on few characters rather than everyone is much easier to digest, and the pacing flows more naturally. This is why the ending is shaping up to be incredible. Even if it is taking forever due to multiple trolls, fans will get the satisfaction they deserved, let alone Sorachi himself.

Bottom line, this chapter was outstanding for its incredible emotional roller coaster from various characters, excellent buildup for the final battle, and plenty of great panel shots with deep intensity and excitement. I can’t do justice on its atmospheric trip, especially the last couple of pages, but I had chills. The next chapter is hype of the hype. I have to think which soundtrack to use for the final battle. This is it. There’s no other way. Gintoki versus Utsuro as Takasugi. It all ends here.

#gintama #chapter 702 #review #spoilers

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Gintama, Episodes 79-81

Okay look, show, can you stop blowing my mind every ten episodes? Because it’s really kinda scaring me how you just keep topping yourself. Where does it end? The sky? The moon? The Kuiper Belt at the outer edge of the solar system? WHERE?!

The Darkness of Yagyu

I’ve talked a lot in the past about Gintama’s ability to blindside me when I least expect it, injecting stretches of real drama and heart amidst its usual goofiness. The show’s multi-episode arcs are where it can really cut loose, letting all the passion and chaos burst forth into glorious, epic stories that hit the heartstrings and adrenaline glands equally. And every single time I come to the end of an arc, there’s a part of me that thinks, “that’s it, the show has done everything it possibly could, there’s no way it can surprise me like this anymore.”

Every single time, I’m proven wrong.

The Yagyu arc already had a more noticeable edge than any arc before it, with a more uncomfortable, unsettling villain than we’d ever faced before. But if you had told me just how shockingly dark it was going to get, I don’t think I would’ve believed you. Even considering how brave this show has been in the past with tackling tricky subjects, the heights to which it soars here are jaw-dropping. To be clear, I don’t just mean Yagyu turning out to be a lesbian; yes, it’s nice to have an explicitly gay character, even if she is the antagonist, but that’s not the source of this arc’s impact. The impact comes from Yagyu’s backstory; she was born into a clan who only honored male heirs, so her family kept her true gender secret and pressured her into performing masculinity.

Really think about that for a second. Yagyu is a character who was born the “wrong” gender, forced to keep that gender a secret from the world, and suffered under the abuse of a family who tried to “convert” her into the “right” gender.

Yeah.

There is so much to unpack there. Yagyu could be read as a gay person who was subjected to homophobic conversion therapy, or a trans person suffering from society-induced gender dysphoria, or somewhere between those two points. Honestly, I don’t think it works as a perfect metaphor for either (and trying to force it to fit one makes for a lot of uncomfortable implications). But still. Holy shit. Is this really the same show that devoted an entire episode to uncomfortable “man in dress” jokes back in episode 24? Because this isn’t just dark, it’s... uncomfortably real. Like the author recognized the evils of conversion therapy and other such anti-LGBT practices long before they really entered the public eye. It treads right up to the line of too far in a way that most other shows wouldn’t even dare to attempt. But if the show wanted to tell a story about an abuser who redeems themself in the end, I don’t think there’s any other way you could’ve gone than with a backstory that sympathetic and understandable.

Cycles of Abuse

Because make no mistake, however you read Yagyu as a person and whatever trauma she suffered in her childhood, she is an abuser. She manipulates Otae’s insecurities and guilt to selfishly keep her beloved for herself, and she tears down all the other people who care about her, refusing to accept that she doesn’t know what’s best for Otae. She’s so determined to have Otae that she fails to recognize how her actions are only making her demons worse. Yagyu is a victim of hereditary abuse, unconsciously taking the pain that was inflicted upon her and inflicting it herself on the people she supposedly cares about. That is dark. And it’s a reminder that, yes, people in the LGBT+ community can be abusers as well. Like Gintoki says, when a person ignores the well-being of the people close to them for their own selfish ends, it doesn’t matter who they are; the only label that suits them anymore is that of “idiot”.

Gintama is a show keenly in touch with the past, both in the broad sense of the world at large and the personal sense of how the characters interact with that past in their own ways. The past drives conflict, motivates change, and colors the lives that everyone tries to lead. It’s no accident that Yagyu’s past is the true enemy of this arc, the pain of her abuse manifesting that same abuse at her own hands. Gintama has never shied away from the darkness before, but this is the first time it’s felt so immediate, personal, and intimate. For all the lack of giant aliens and massive airship battles, in terms of the emotions at play, this might have been Gintama’s most explosive arc yet. And the complicated feelings it brought up in me are things I’m going to remember for a long time to come.

Otae’s Smile

Which brings me to the lynchpin of this whole mess: Otae herself. Otae has always been one of my favorite characters in the show, her take-no-prisoners toughness never failing to entertain and inspire in equal measure. But this is the first time we’ve peered behind the hardened exterior she puts up and seen the person beneath, with all her insecurities and fears laid bare. And it’s really hard to watch a character this confident and magnetic show this level of self-doubt, or self-loathing. She wants to take everyone’s problems onto her own shoulders because she feels like she’s not worth living freely herself. It’s no wonder Yagyu’s manipulation screwed with her so much; she’s exactly the kind of person who’d be most suceptable to that kind of guilt trip.

But Otae is so much more than the girl who couldn’t save Yagyu’s eye. She’s the woman who smacked a panty bandit out of the sky when everyone else fell short. She’s the woman who never gave up on saving her family’s dojo. She’s the woman who’s fought tooth and nail alongside her friends too many times to count. She has more strength in her little pinky than any of the posers in Yagyu’s clan. She deserves to be happy for her own sake, not tear herself into a million pieces out of some twisted sense of responsibility for the people she cares about. And the moment where she broke down, admitting to herself that she wanted to stay with everyone, choked me up something bad.

But that wasn’t the moment that really got me.

The moment that got me was at the battle’s end, after Shinpachi had shattered the final plate and Yagyu realized she had lost. When the lady samurai realized she was wrong. When she realized how much pain she’d inflicted upon Otae. When they both broke down in tears as she begged for forgiveness, letting the pain and sorrow and heartbreak of the last two decades finally come pouring out. When- to go back to the LGBT metaphor the show was working with- Otae finally acknowledged Yagyu’s identity, after a lifetime of people trying to force her to be a man, by calling her a woman.

I’ve been driven right up to the brink of tears by this show before, but I never quite crossed the threshold. This moment, though? I was bawling. I had ugly tears streaming down my face and they didn’t let up until the commercial break. Wow. Just, wow. That was fantastic. That was the distilled essence of the power of Gintama, letting the accumulating blackness of the past few episodes finally release in a breath of pure catharsis. That was why Otae finally being able to smile will all her heart at the episode’s end was so meaningful.

This show is really good, guys. And I’m scared that at some point I’m going to run out of words to describe just how masterfully it manages every endeavor it undertakes. But for today, let’s just appreciate how it pulled off a story about cyclical abuse and homo/transphobia with more grace than pretty much any other show I’ve seen. That takes balls. That takes talent.

For lack of a better word, that takes Gintama.

Toilet Humor

But, because this is still, indeed, Gintama, it would be remiss of me to leave this arc without once again touching on the second half of what makes this such a great show: making me laugh at jokes I would normally hate. Episode 79 is basically one long toilet joke, with Gintoki, Kondo, and a pair of the bad guys all stuck in the same bathroom with no toilet paper in any stall, so they have to try and figure out a way to be the first to wipe their ass so they can kick the ass of their two still-immobilized opponents. I’ve never been a big fan of scatological humor; gross stuff for the sake of being gross has never been my thing. But once again, Gintama makes it work by focusing not on the toilet part of the equation, but the humor part. This is a legitimate high-stakes mind game the four of them are playing, trying to out-think and out-play each other to be the first person back on their feet, the kind of tactical battle this arc specialized in. It’s a Death Note-worthy mental face-off, a battle of wits of the highest caliber... that just happens to be about needing to be the first to find something that could be used as toilet paper. And because of that juxtaposition, it’s so much funnier than it has any right to be. Kudos, show. You got me again. Now, somebody get Kondo some lotion for his butt, because fucking ouch.

Odds and Ends

-Wasn’t the sky all cloudy before? Did we have a timeskip in between episodes or something?

-”How did they find us?” *sparkler gets even brighter* Oh, I’ve missed you, show.

-”Have you been in here for three episodes?!” Hey now, Kondo, the call of nature cannot be denied.

-”You’ve just been providing commentary over fights!” Gintoki, I’m ashamed of you. A true Shonen JUMP devotee would never shame battle commentary.

-I appreciate the monkey king reference. Finally, an Eastern legend I actually know!

-”Do you think Sis is a man! I mean, she’s kinda flat-chested but-” rip Shinpachi

-”Big Sis! Men are unreliable, so I came to help.” I FUCKING LOVE KAGURA

-Also, this fight is freaking intense.

-askjdhasdkj I forgot about the damn gorilla

-”They were so enamoured with their bananas a moment ago, but now they want to watch my banana?” help my sides

And with that, another incredible arc comes to a close. See you next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #sakata gintoki #gintama #gintoki sakata #shimura shinpachi #shinpachi shimura #kagura

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Gintama, Episodes 72-75

We reach the end of Gintama’s third cours! And in typical fashion, there’s plenty to laugh at, plenty to cry at, and plenty to impress.

The Last of Bears

You know, Gintama is a show with a lot of references, mostly to deep-cut relics of Japanese pop culture that go right over my head. But the benefit of it being a series that is, in some ways, about storytelling and its mechanics, is that there’ll occasionally be an episode plot that, because it’s riffing on well-worn territory, just coincidentally reminds me of something I’ve watched that was based in that context. For example, the central plot of episode 73 is about a type of fungus that infects living hosts, using them for food and controlling their actions to seek out more victims. And that just so happens to be the exact plot of The Last of Us, possibly my favorite video game of all time. Seriously, if you have any sort of Playstation and haven’t checked out The Last of Us yet, fix that, because it’s a testament to the power of video games to tell real, compelling stories. So, as you can imagine, watching that powerful, emotional concept riffed on for extended Mario gaga (”Mamma mia!”) had a special kind of appeal for me.

So imagine my surprise when it turned out that the episode wasn’t just mining the mind-control-mushroom for comedy, but for real emotional weight, just like Naughty Dog’s masterpiece. I mean, I know I shouldn’t have been surprised; this is Gintama, where laughter and tears are often two sides of the same coin,but I was so caught up in the unintentional goofing on my golden calf that I almost missed the powerful story it was telling underneath, about a man trying to pull himself out of his failures and move on. It’s marked by what might be Gintoki’s most powerful philosophical quote yet, and that’s saying something: ”If you don’t climb down, you’ll never know if you can climb another mountain.” It speaks to his philosophy so much, to the need to move on and find your own direction in life. And then, when the rampaging bear lowered its head to its former friend, a moment of clarity in its madness... wow. That hit me hard. This show’s control over its tone is freaking insane; a single moment, perfectly built towards, almost got the tears flowing. Gintama can goof on mushroom zombies all it wants, but it can also go back to the same well to recover the essence of that idea and why it works in the first place.

And speaking of zombies, the next episode is a full-on Dawn of the Dead-style zombie flick! It’s got all the classic moments: the friends suddenly turning out to be infected, hordes of zombies dragging innocent people down with them, breaking through hasty barricades, narrow escapes, sudden and tragic bite reveals, and so on. Once again, this is a testament to the confidence Gintama has in its ability to manage tone; it’s able to pull off the intensity of a classic zombie movie without losing the goof and gaffs that give it its distinct edge. The moment where Otae just straight-up knocks the barricades down with a single blow, subverting the trope of the slow, agonizing break-in? Awesome. It’s a shame I couldn’t get the reference to whatever mangaka they were referencing, but the good thing about Gintama is you don’t need to get the references to have a good time. That’s why it’s so damn cool.

Sweet Baby Katsura

Katsura, meanwhile, is starting to rise high on my list of the show’s favorite characters. He really is the biggest dork in existence, just wanting to be let in on the fun but chronically unable to drop his haughty persona. His delusions during his driving test, basically inventing an entire anime in his head as his imagination ran wild, had me cackling, as was his incredible commitment to them. But what really set me off was his insistence on naming the Unibrow zombies himself during that episode. He was just so damn happy when everyone else started using the name he gave them, and I just want to pick him up and cuddle him forever, because he’s a precious baby bean and I love him. Seriously, if he keeps this up, he’s gonna start competing with Kagura for my favorite character trophy.

Recap in Style

And that’s another half-year of Gintama completed! Looking back, this was definitely my favorite 25-odd episodes of the show so far. It had some of the best laughs, some of the most emotional arcs, and some of the most epic moments (the freaking Benizakura arc, man). And as always, we go out on a creative jab at recap episodes, an extended lark on how far we’ve come since the first few episodes (”There aren’t many Amanto on the streets!” “We’ve strayed away from the original concept.”). The show really has grown a lot since then, tightening itself up, pushing itself to greater heights, and constantly coming up with interesting and creative ideas. And it’s still going! We’ve got a long way to go before I bid this series goodbye, but it keeps building on itself like this and keeps finding worthwhile stories to tell, I’m going to have very little to complain about. Here’s to the next 300 episodes to come!

Odds and Ends

-”He’s been looking at nothing but fashion magazines lately.” askjdhaskdjh

-Excuse the fuck me how did you get a robot dog, Hasegawa?

-”Machines have a soul, too.” C-C-C-Callback!

-Competing swan peddle boats racing to stop two dogs from having sex. Even for Gintama, that’s out there.

-”I, uh... hit a ninja.” And his butthole with remember the pain forever.

-”It’s all thanks to your instruction.” “I never taught you that.” ashdhaskgda

-Welcome back, Space Captain Katsura. Have you found the One Park yet?

-THE FREAKING “SPEED” REFERENCE

-Let’s be real, all mushrooms look like dicks if your mind is dirty enough.

-”Those are the traditions honored by our ancestors!” Did Gintoki just punk all of anime in a single gag?

-”This might be our last meal. I want to die on a full stomach.” Kagura knows what’s up.

-”Katsura, your flashback doesn’t look right.” askjdhaskjd

-”I’m pregnant.” KAGURA HOLY SHIT

-”Between that thing on the first floor and the sunglasses, which one is the real Hasegawa.” It’s called a gimmick, you uncultured swine.

-”I’ll be back to normal by next week, right?” “I don’t know it depends on the anime staff!” NOT THE TIME GIN-SAN

-”Even half of what Gundam gets would be good, Sunrise!” Have I mentioned I love when Gintama goes full meta?

-Excuse you, Prince Baka, nobody dubs over the voice of our lord and savior Dio. Shame on you.

And that’s all for tonight. See you next time for the start of Gintama’s fourth cours!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #gintama #sakata gintoki #gintoki sakata #shimura shinpachi #shinpachi shimura #kagura

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 689 Review

Before going into this chapter, I thought it was safe to assume that it’s going to be another hilarious chapter with a few nice scenes here and there. To my surprise, the comedy and serious tone ratio has been altered. Therefore, we got ourselves a really captivating chapter with funny and drastic scenes. The time to throw down and get serious is coming, and yet, I’m not ready.

After what happened last time, there’s no way you can skipped the comedy. By that, I mean the false or “wrong” fan service moment with Granny Kagura. Usually, Gintama recaps the last moment of a segment; reminding fans where they left off. In this case, it’s necessary for a comedy skit that had me rolling.

The theme is how Shinpachi has become a player; at least according to Gintoki’s observation. What’s hysterical is how he believes Shinpachi has risen to the level surpassing Gin-san. I heard of a student surpassing the master, but this is downright ridiculous. But that opinion is shattered when naked Granny Kagura appeared. As expected, she doesn’t know Gintoki is there. The funny part is he doesn’t know that’s Kagura. So it begins a train of hilarity.

What stunned him really is not just because he saw a naked granny, though my eyes would dried out, but because Shinpachi has gone way above Gin-san, aiming for Ginsan and Kinsan tier. This joke is hilariously clever if you know those twins’ background, who were over 100 years old, and how the name with suffix became a full name. I was laughing so much to see Shinpachi skiing through space; a hilarious callback to one of my favorite reactions. The puns about elders are also funny.

Things got very awkward when Little Kagura comes out of the shower, wondering if Shinpachi is home. I died from laughing when he thought this is the final chapter with Shinpachi, for whatever reason, skiing through space with law enforcements arresting him. That’s the most tragic ending ever. I can’t stop laughing at how self-aware Gintoki is about the final arc going on for a while and wondering when is it going to end. I know it has to end one day, but good God, don’t end controversial. That’s one way to kill your manga.

I can credit Gintoki for looking after Shinpachi’s safety, even if everything is misunderstanding. It becomes tensed when Kagura can’t find her underwear, but he’s blocking doors to avoid contact. What could possibly go wrong? How about breaking through doors with her bare arms. How terrifying that must have been for him. Rejoice, fans. You got your actual demanded fan service more or less. I’ll say this much; she’s another victim of longer hair equal prettier. I need to take a break from manga…

So yeah, Kagura is about to bash his head, but still doesn’t know that it’s Gintoki. However, he now knows that it’s Kagura, so at least he cleared out his mistake. Unless he thinks Shinpachi went “there.” This sounds like some Batman and Batgirl twisted fantasy. Anyway, he luckily escapes, though a bit bummed that another reunion is stalled for another time. That is until Kagura notices the hair belongs to her precious father-figure, Gin-chan. The run and hide charade is nearly over.

After one wacky reunion, we finally got to see what’s up with Katsura and Takasugi. Takasugi took the opportunity of another enemy warfare occurring outside and snuck inside to meet with Katsura. That was nice to learn how he did it, especially when you consider that he has no army anymore. That said I’m a bit surprised that he went all the way there to kill him. I know Katsura is Zurump, which is understandable for him to be targeted, but think of the friendship.

I can’t help but laugh at the scene where Elizabeth is standing atop of the chandelier. It looks so funny to me. But of course, Gintama has its own way to present a cool moment out of a funny sight. I honestly thought there will be a battle between him and Takasugi; that would be a money-making match. But instead, Elizabeth takes a snapshot and then, we ensue the true way to shape the future: Twitter! The reference to Trump is genius.

Never would I thought to see a comedy skit with Katsura and Takasugi, but after what happened earlier with Gintoki, anything is possible now. It’s so funny that he has tweeted many times with random nonsense or casually downplay the assassination attempts. This is too close to home. What makes it funnier is Takasugi was practically forced to play the straight man, but he lacks energy to be one. Everything that is stupid, he replies in a normal calm manner. Even Katsura calls him out at failing. Either Takasugi legitimately don’t know what is a straight man or pretends to not know, Katsura notes that next time, they will play in their reversal role. This is comedy. Sadly, it ends here and the atmosphere drastically becomes serious.

The tone gets heavy when they begin discussing about their beloved master, Shouyo. Takasugi let him know that he has been searching for his master to save him; similar to what he has said to Gintoki. Katsura’s decision is different yet arguably more righteous of the two. There’s no mistake, he too wants to save their master. It almost sounds like he was agreeing with Takasugi. However, his definition of saving differs.

It’s awe-inspiring yet kind of hurtful with Katsura’s decision to save Shouyo by eliminating him. I was touched on how much he has learned as a Prime Minister and meant what he felt about his people. He wants to protect everyone, like what a Shogun used to do. It’s just Shouyo is also Utsuro and instead of gambling their chance, he wants to end the religion and him. That, to him, is what he considered “saving him.”

I mentioned hurtful because some fans would like Shouyo to return and earn freedom to live, but the reality is he’s the most hated criminal. Letting him live is an awful decision; making all “coolest guy ever” characters look like no crime record people. This moment leaves Gintoki as the middle man since he is torn between ending and sparing Shouyo’s life. I know he wanted to kill him before, but that flashback with him raising the child gave us a clearer view of his character. This subplot is seriously exciting. Please, Sorachi. Don’t ruin the payoff.

Katsura has some serious sincere dialogues that really got me picking his side over the debate. You can argue that he is more mature than Takasugi in this predicament. He hits right in the feels by closing the argument with everyone cannot go back in time after what they have become. It’s so true yet sad at same time. This discussion helped Takasugi to make his final decision: kill Katsura. Not like this…

This chapter is just fill with surprises. Not only would I never thought to see a comedy skit with Katsura and Takasugi, but now, a battle between them. The way how the setup plays out definitely feels like this is going to be a serious one-on-one combat. Katsura versus Takasugi is really happening. So many battles that I thought it wouldn’t happen, but since Sougo versus Kagura, anything is possible. I don’t know if the cliffhanger interrupts it, but if not, oh man, I can’t contain my excitement.

I was so happy that Kagura is chasing after Gintoki; however, I was so sad to learn more depth of her inner conflict. There’s no laughing matter here. In the flashback, Umibozu gives her a deep meaningful advice about letting go. Kagura was conflicted to return to Yorozuya, but he told her that if she doesn’t reach her hand out, there will be no one to grab back anymore. It sounds like a guilt trip, but it’s true in many ways. I sadly can relate to that. One must make a move to bring back together.

What really did it for me is another flashback about Shinpachi’s past two years action. Kagura thought Shinpachi was protecting their home and waited for Gintoki to return, but the truth is he wasn’t. He only protected it because he couldn’t move on; he too was stuck in the past. After all, Yorozuya is designed for those who have nothing to do. That…is a deep reference. Honestly, that made me whisper, “…aw…”

This left Kagura to carry a heavy burden. She has the chance to bring the family back together again. I love how the chase scene slowly becomes emotional. This could have been a funny gag, but the more you understand her feelings, the more you are feeling her pain. You want her to stop Gintoki from leaving. Her expression changes overtime from determination to sadness. Her reaching out her arms moment is so moving. The metaphor could not be any more painful.

The ending twist is not what I expected. The terminal is about to blow up, which I don’t get. I thought Tendoshu need them, unless there’s something else I missed. But that means the series is about to get dark again. The best part is how Gintoki drops his charade that reads, “To hell with hiding! I must protect Kagura!” I love that moment so much. This is why these characters are amazing. What comes next is anyone’s guess.

This chapter was a lot of things and outstanding is one of them. It’s filled with great laughs, especially in the beginning. I can’t stop laughing at the thought of ending the series controversial. It’s filled with serious developments such as Katsura versus Takasugi, which I, if uninterrupted, can’t wait for it. Lastly, it’s filled with emotional connections, including a teary scene with Kagura crying for Gin-chan. It looks like it’s time to begin another war. I thought I was ready… I guess not.

#gintama #chapter 689 #review

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 639 Review

The war just couldn’t get any worse…is what I thought in the last chapter. This chapter has proven me wrong and boy, I wish I wasn’t wrong. The war is beginning to show more and more of dangerous territory when a leader becomes desperate to the point everyone is a sacrifice. While it shifts away from Earth, mainly Sadaharu, it brings in more carnage, more deaths, and more suspense.

Sorachi decides to shift focus to Kihetai after a series of major conflicts back at Earth and the game changer that Utsuro brought upon. The war is drawing near to the climax, so it would only mean that major moments will begin to occur frequently. As if the war wasn’t intense enough already, even with its comedy segment. True, that I am really intrigued by it, but I am afraid for what’s coming next.

The beginning is like a recap to what happened in the last chapter, only it’s narrated by Takechi and others are the audience. It’s pretty much a reaction moment, though it segues to something unusual of the team. It has been so long from their introduction that despite their harsh and dark tone words, they are friendlier than before. They were thinking if Earth has any chance to survive with exploding Altana. Out of all people, once again, Takasugi fills in that they will be fine.

It’s still amazing to hear him to speak in more sincere and in a way hopeful tone. It’s like someone has kidnap the real Takasugi. The point he’s stating is that everyone in there aren’t easy to be taken down, and nothing will change that. It’s a proper fit for him to fill in that thought since he compare himself to the day when he was fighting alongside with Gintoki. It’s his way of saying that he can clearly understand that Earth isn’t going to lose that easy as they always get back up and fight, even if one falls. It’s a nice comparison and convincing argument on why his stance makes sense.

Takechi has also plenty of good moments in this arc so far. He doesn’t need to take action to be impressive; it’s him being the mouthpiece that shows how far he has learned from his experience. I guess it pays off to be feminist. He’s like the hype man for the team that is fighting currently, so all of them work well together. I’m glad that we get to see them to shine one last time.

Speaking of team, Shoukaku and Batou are still in combat, kicking asses and stuff. One person that was missing from this group is Hankai, though I remember his body or his main core was destroyed by Sakamato, so it’s understandable that he wouldn’t appear with the group. Well, I spoke too soon, because he surprisingly makes his return, though more like computer programming software. It’s actually logical to have him remain as a data, so this makes sense.

What also makes sense is the use of bringing him back to the War. Takechi brought him along because he is capable to break the system and prevent the weapon from firing at Earth. What’s crazy is that the one talking to Takechi isn’t the only one. They made 12 copies of him and all of them failed to break in the code. It’s the ongoing sacrifice to retrieve a small data in order to get one step closer. Takechi persuades Hankai to succeed in what they all failed like an act of revenge. That’s a clever way to detour his hatred to elsewhere.

The Ominous Star is back and it’s a neat way to have them working together on the same side. Then the crazy turn happens. When everything was going smoothly or at least more favor to them, that’s when all hell was breaking loose. Some kind of ray of light lightened the entire area where Batou was at. My fear escalated when I see the bodies’ dismemberment flying across the screen; I remember shouting, “Oh shit!” out loud. In fact, it happened right when Batou was cut in half, presumably dead with his eerie and possibly last word.

Then Shoukaku takes the fall, only this one is vague, but it still gives a really bad feeling that he has died. Everyone starts dying left and right; it’s as if it becomes the first era of Gundam, where it was freelance to go crazy on killing spree. I remember Sorachi is a fan of it, so maybe that’s the point. I was getting more worried that I just remind myself on what happened with Kondo. This turnaround and vague outcome of their contact to explosion is killing me. Enshou pretty much got all peer pressured to drain out all of the energy from the ship, so it can fire the weapon quicker. The guy is insane enough to kill everyone, just he can shoot first. By that point, the tension is running high.

The chapter has plenty of action scenes and a lot of limbs flying out. It got more intense when Enshou decides to kill every power and leave everyone to suffer and die. The scene with Batou looks pretty bad in terms of condition because it seems like he really took the fall. Now we could think that maybe his vision is playing trick again, so let’s hope that’s the case; otherwise, what a brutal way to end. The tension increases tenfold when they all realized that they are surrounded with explosions.

The ending scene gives me a really bad feeling. As everyone is running, Matako got caught by a random explosion that causes her to fall. Takasugi takes notice and looks incredibly worried that she will die. The fact it ended right there is asking for the next chapter to have a dark turn like someone will lose a limb or life. If it’s Takasugi, I think he will lose something while saving her. I don’t know what to expect, but it’s a haunting end that I hope it’s just a cruel joke.

The chapter starts in a good heartfelt moment with everyone working together and has a purpose in this war; only it gradually goes dark by the time Batou takes the fall and the rest is in danger. It’s the running tension that got me impatience to see what’s next and it could be another major death for all we know. I don’t want to think the possibility, but we will know soon enough.

#gintama #chapter 639 #review